WCMS Garden a member of the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail

Former
First Lady Rosalynn Carter wanted to establish a butterfly garden at her home
in Plains, Georgia to encourage the conservation of butterflies and their
habitats.

In 2013, The Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail was established by
Annette Wise with the Georgia Department of Education. The trail resulted from
Mrs. Carter’s desire to bring public awareness to the declining monarch
butterfly population. The Trail stretches across the United States and into
Canada. To be certified, each garden must contain a variety of host plants like
milkweed and parsley for eggs and larvae development as well as nectar plants
to attract Monarchs and Swallowtail butterflies.

White County Middle School teachers and staff worked diligently this past spring to establish a container garden that meets all the requirements for certification. Many groups and individuals participated in creating this garden; including Officer Pete Dorsey - WCMS SRO, Stacey Allen – SWS, Allyson Lunsford – Art, Lloyd Collins – PE, Meg Dickerson – Agriculture, Leo Jones – Special Education. The container garden was prepared by SWS students and WCMS FFA members. Marigolds and milkweed were grown by Mr. Jones’ class.